Driving Sports

While most of the news coming from the automotive sector is bad, there are some bright spots. Few are brighter than Lotus, however, as the venerable British sports car maker keeps on rolling out one hot ride after another - each sexier than the last.

In the last week, Lotus has announced the new Exige S and the all-new 2010 Evora. We'll take a look at each one in turn.

The Exige S is an updated version of the hardtop sports car Lotus has been selling since 2005. The new version will feature an updated rear wing and front end treatment to reduce drag and increase engine air intake efficiency. At 100 MPH, the new wing will generate 93 pounds of downforce on the rear end. The car will come with an adjustable front sway bar and shocks as well.

The Exige S will offer drivers 257 horsepower, up from 190 in the original Exige package, and will do 0-60 in a scant 4.1 seconds - about the same as an Audi R8. Top speed will be a governed 150, and the Exige S will still deliver 26 MPG on the highway.  The new Exige S also features driver-programmable launch control and traction control. We say that's a solid score.

Driving Sports publisher Ryan Douthit and Editor Jeff Zurschmeide have an appointment to drive the new Exige all over Oregon for a couple days in July - but we'll try to get a first-hand driving impression to you before then.

The upcoming Evora is, if anything, even more exciting than the Exige S. The Evora is a mid-engined 2+2 coupe powered by a 3.5-litre V-6 producing 276 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 252 pound-feet of torque at 4,700 rpm. The power is delivered to the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual box.

All that power will take the new car from 0 – 60 in approximately 5 seconds and the Evora boasts a top speed of over 160 mph. And it still gets 27 MPG in combined real-world driving.

Lotus says the Evora will also be available without a rear seat, offering a bit more luggage space. Of course, it will also come with every electronic gizmo, bell, whistle, and dingdong you can imagine in a modern sports car.

We think the 2-seat version will be the hot ticket - who buys a Lotus to haul the kids to school, anyway?  But if that's your thing, Lotus is including child safety seat latches in the Evora's back seat.

So if the auto news has you bumming, just take a moment to visit lotuscars.com and check out the new leaders in the sports car world.